Intelligencer: March 21-28

It Happens This Week Lent comes to an end, as
many private schools go on break. The New York International Auto Show takes over the Javits Center, while the MTA mulls final bids for
the “stadium” site that abuts it. Ian McEwan’s Saturday, the story of one neurosurgeon’s very bad day, hits stores. And a new CD from D.J. Clinton Sparks features just
about every rapper in New York, including P. Diddy, Fat Joe, and Joe’s new rival, 50 Cent.

(Photo: Stacy Walsh Rosenstock/Newscom)

The Anti-Ferrer ’Toon
That Won’t Die Resurfaces in
’05 Race
The politically explosive flyer that helped decide the 2001 mayoral race—the one with the Post cartoon of Fernando Ferrer
kissing a flatulent Al Sharpton’s buttocks—is back. Renegade Mark Green supporters distributed the flyer during the ’01 primary, upsetting Ferrer, whose backers withheld support from nominee Green, helping Michael Bloomberg win. Now some Dems are whispering that the flyer’s designer, Micah Lasher, a consultant whose company is a subsidiary of Bloomberg ad firm Squier Knapp, is doing the mayor’s campaign mail. In fact, Bloomberg’s advisers were so worried about flyer blowback that, after some debate, they had Lasher sign a notarized paper saying he’d recused himself from working with them. Still, the flyer’s power lives on: Asked about Lasher, Bloomberg spokesman Stu Loeser blasted Ferrer for campaigning
with State Senator Carl Kruger, also allegedly behind the flyer: “Mr. Ferrer was outraged by the flyers, but now he embraces one of its masterminds.” Ferrer’s spokesman said he welcomes new supporters. —Greg Sargent